DFS Alerts
One Of My Favorite Value Options Tonight
With Ivan Rabb likely to sit tonight, I really like Joakim Noah on DraftKings. On FanDuel I could see playing him, but it’s hard to get away from Looney at min salary. Noah is averaging 18.2 fantasy points over his season average and 8.7 minutes over his season average in the last four games. With Jackson and Rabb out, I’m hoping we see Noah around 25 minutes tonight, and at this price, he should crush if he plays 25 minutes.
Take Advantage of the Defensive Tendencies in this Matchup
Milwaukee travels to Sacramento tonight for a game with the fourth-highest point total of the night (234.0) and some interesting defensive tendencies. Milwaukee has the 8th-best scoring defense in the league giving up just 107.3 points per game, but they still allow the most 3PM and 3PA in the league. I’ll be targeting the Sacramento long-distance shooters in this game, starting with Buddy Hield (7.6 3PA per game) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (5.5 3PA per game). On the Bucks’ side, it’s interesting to note that Sacramento allows the fourth-most points-in-the-paint per game. Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the league in points-in-the-paint (17.6 per game) and could be the highest point scorer this evening.
Other tagged players: Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic
DeMarcus Cousins (rest) out Wednesday
Cousins is a new addition to the Warriors’ injury report and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Miami Heat due to rest purposes on the front end of their upcoming back-to-back set, while Jordan Bell and all of the remaining Golden State players will be available for tonight’s contest. Cousins has seen his playing time gradually increase over the previous six games, and he finally eclipsed the 30-minute mark en route to easily exceeding his salary-based expectations in Monday’s win. Kevon Looney will more than likely rejoin the starting lineup in Cousin’s place, but he’ll still be difficult to trust in daily fantasy formats given his sporadic minute floor with head coach Steve Kerr’s propensity to use smaller lineup combinations without Cousins available. However, the main beneficiary with Cousins off the court has been Stephen Curry, as he owns a 37.0% usage rate (+7.1%) and is averaging 1.50 DraftKings and 1.43 FanDuel points per minute in a 278.4 minutes sample size.
As reported by: Mark Medina via Twitter
Marvin Williams (toe) will play Wednesday
Williams was previously upgraded from doubtful to probable on the Hornets’ injury report, and he’s now confirmed with reporters at shootaround that he will play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets despite dealing with a strained right toe. Williams has provided some fantasy value in recent games when allotted the necessary playing time, and he’s logged at least 30 minutes in seven of the last 10 games despite head coach James Borrego constantly changing up his rotation on a near nightly basis. The Hornets big man that could be worth a look is Cody Zeller, who’s been stellar since returning from a fractured right hand, as he is coming off of a phenomenal fantasy performance in Monday’s loss and is averaging 1.12 DraftKings and 1.17 FanDuel points per minute over his previous eight contests.
As reported by: Rick Bonnell via Twitter NBA Injury Rundown - Wednesday, 2/27
Charlotte Hornets – Marvin Williams (D)
Minnesota Timberwolves – Jeff Teague (Q), Robert Covington (O)
Golden State Warriors – Jordan Bell (P), Damian Jones (O)
Miami Heat – Justise Winslow (P), Rodney McGruder (Q), James Johnson (Q)
Portland Trail Blazers – Evan Turner (O)
Chicago Bulls – Kris Dunn (Q), Otto Porter (Q), Chandler Hutchison (O), Wendell Carter Jr. (O), Denzel Valentine (O)
Memphis Grizzlies – Avery Bradley (P), C.J. Miles (Q), Ivan Rabb (D), Jaren Jackson (O), Kyle Anderson (O), Dillon Brooks (O)
Indiana Pacers – Tyreke Evans (Q), Domantas Sabonis (O), Alize Johnson (O), Victor Oladipo (O)
Milwaukee Bucks – Giannis Antetokounmpo (P), George Hill (O), Sterling Brown (O), Donte DiVincenzo (O)
New Orleans Pelicans – Darius Miller (P), Trevon Bluiett (O)
Mario Hezonja (leg) out Tuesday
Hezonja is a late addition to the Knicks’ injury report and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a left leg contusion, while DeAndre Jordan was already ruled out with a sprained left ankle that’s now forced him to miss two consecutive games. In Jordan’s absence, Lance Thomas and Noah Vonleh started at the power forward and center positions, respectively, though Vonleh was limited to just 18 minutes and gave way to Mitchell Robinson off the bench for most of Sunday’s win. Another casualty of head coach David Fizdale’s fickle rotations was Luke Kornet, who surprisingly picked up a DNP-CD after logging at least 28 minutes in two of the previous four games. On the other hand, Robinson obliterated his salary-based expectations in 30 minutes of action the last time out, and he’ll continue to be a viable source of value if sees close to starters minutes, as he is averaging 1.30 DraftKings and 1.46 FanDuel points per minute with Jordan, Ntilikina, and all the departed former Knicks off the court this season.
As reported by: Ian Begley via Twitter DeAndre Jordan (ankle) listed out Tuesday
Jordan has been downgraded from doubtful on the most recent version of the Knicks’ injury report and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a sprained left ankle that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Frank Ntilikina remains sidelined with a sore groin. In Jordan’s absence, Lance Thomas and Noah Vonleh started at the power forward and center positions, respectively, though Vonleh was limited to just 18 minutes and gave way to Mitchell Robinson off the bench for most of Sunday’s win. Another casualty of head coach David Fizdale’s fickle rotations was Luke Kornet, who surprisingly picked up a DNP-CD after logging at least 28 minutes in two of the previous four games. On the other hand, Robinson obliterated his salary-based expectations in 30 minutes of action the last time out, and he’ll continue to be a viable source of value if sees close to starters minutes, as he is averaging 1.30 DraftKings and 1.46 FanDuel points per minute with Jordan, Ntilikina, and all the departed former Knicks off the court this season.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Paying Up For A Stud
When it comes to paying up for a stud on this slate, I’m almost always inclined to land on Westbrook or George. It’s a small three game slate, and both OKC stars have been on a tear of late. George is scoring points in bunches, and the upside is through the roof with his scoring ability. This matchup against Denver has shootout potential, and George plays at a premium wing position where it’s hard to find good options tonight. For that reason, I almost like paying for George moreso than Westbrook. Position scarcity is a thing on a three game slate.
Increase Role with DeAndre Jordan Out
Mitchell Robinson has been incredibly effective off the bench recently and should draw a start at center tonight with DeAndre Jordan listed as doubtful. Assuming he can stay out of foul trouble, he should push for 30 minutes against the Magic. This is far from an ideal matchup, but the Knicks are playing at home. On the season, Robinson has averaged 1.17 FP/min. If he’s anywhere close to that tonight, he will easily exceed salary-based expectations.
Minutes are Trending Upward
Marc Gasol drew his first start since being traded to the Raptors on Sunday. He played 14 first half minutes and was on pace for 27 minutes if the game didn’t turn into a blowout. Many will talk about his form, but his minutes are trending upward and his per-minute production has actually been very good over his last four games — 1.33 FP/min. The Celtics have a stout defense, but are ranked 15th in efficiency against centers.
Have To Trust The Knicks Tonight
It’s really hard to trust the Knicks, but on a three-game slate, we have to trust the Knicks. With Allen sent to the G-League, Dotson should be in line for big minutes again tonight. Dotson has played over 30 minutes in three of the last four games and has at least 30 fantasy points in back-to-back games. I really like the value in this game, and it opens up a lot with the studs in the other games.
Low Owned Tournament Play
Point guard is pretty loaded tonight, which should make the value options a lot lower owned for a three-game slate. The Knicks rank 26th in defensive efficiency against opposing point guards. With Briscoe out tonight, Augustin should play 25+ minutes, and at this price, that’s all he needs to hit value in this matchup.
Solid Value
Reliable mid-range options are tough to find on this slate, so we can look to Fournier as one of those plays. The Magic draw a favorable matchup against the feeble Knicks tonight, and these are the types of games where Fournier can thrive. His minutes are secure, and the scoring should be there in a favorable matchup. Give him a look as an option in all formats.
Ready To Take Off
If the Knicks don’t give Mitchell Robinson consistent minutes down the stretch, they are borderline clinically insane. Robinson has shown immense upside when he has gotten the court time this year, and he is coming off a 15/14 performance with five blocks in the last game on Sunday. DeAndre Jordan is likely going to be out again tonight, and Robinson should be looking at 30 minutes if he can stay out of foul trouble. The sky is the limit here, and he has slate breaking upside on a three game slate.
NBA Injury Rundown - Tuesday, 2/26
Orlando Magic – Isaiah Briscoe (O), Mohamed Bamba (O), Markelle Fultz (O), Timofey Mozgov (O)
New York Knicks – DeAndre Jordan (D), Frank Ntilikina (O)
Boston Celtics – Aron Baynes (O)
Toronto Raptors – Fred VanVleet (O)
Denver Nuggets – Trey Lyles (O), Michael Porter Jr. (O)